1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with novel confectionery or icing compositions and methods of using those compositions to form intricate decorations for cakes, cookies, and other baked goods as well as candies, confectionery items, plated desserts, and other desserts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous icing compositions have been prepared in the past, however, each of these compositions has suffered from drawbacks. For example, prior art compositions have been very thick and dense, thus making it extremely difficult or impossible for cake decorators to extrude or squeeze the material through very small apertures. As a result, pastry bags utilized by decorators have included dispensing tips whose apertures were 16 gauge or a lower gauge (i.e., 1.193 mm or larger apertures—the lower the gauge, the larger the aperture size) which prevented the decorator from using the compositions to easily make fine lines and detailed, intricate patterns. Furthermore, even at these gauge sizes, decorators are required to apply a great deal of force to the pastry bag to cause the prior art icing compositions to pass through the apertures. This force causes great strain on the hands and wrists of the decorators, making this process exhausting and sometimes painful.
Another problem with prior art compositions is that forming patterns with pastry bags requires a great deal of time and skill by the decorator. This is particularly true when decorating the sides of a cake. This problem greatly limits the options of the non-professional who desires a decoration that was more than just a simple message or basic flowers, swirls, or other patterns. The non-professional must rely on a professional to provide these decorations at a cost, and even then the pattern may have been too intricate or fine even for the professional with a pastry bag as discussed above.
Furthermore, with prior art compositions and decorating methods, it is necessary to form the patterns “on the cake.” That is, after a cake is baked or thawed if frozen, it must wait to be decorated. As a result, there is a risk that the cake will become stale, or at least lose some of its freshness, while waiting to be decorated.
Thus, there is a need for icing compositions and decorating methods which can readily be utilized by novices and professionals alike, and which can be used to form complex patterns with relative ease and by a wide variety of methods.